This application seeks support for participation of American scientists in the 10th International Maillard Symposium. This symposium is the next in a series of inter- disciplinary conferences of food and biomedical scientists who have met at ~3 year intervals since 1979. The Maillard Reaction encompasses a broad range of chemistry that occurs during the processing and cooking of foods, but also contributes to the chemical modification of body proteins during normal aging and in age-related chronic diseases, including atherosclerosis, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and cataracts. This symposium brings together ~250 scientists from academic and research institutions, government and industry, drawn equally from Europe, Australia and the Americas. The goal of the conference is to foster scientific exchange and collaboration among the participants and to stimulate and enhance research into nutritional, toxicological and biomedical aspects of the Maillard reaction. The 10th International Maillard Symposium will convene in Palm Cove (Cairns, Australia) from Aug. 29 - Sept-1, 2009. The principal keynote address will be given by Professor Paul Zimmet, a world leader in the area of diabetes, with a particular interest in the global burden of diabetes. Each of the following four days begins with plenary lectures in the food and biomedical sciences, presented in joint session for all attendees. The plenary sessions are followed by 2-3 parallel morning and afternoon sessions, each co-chaired by a senior and junior scientist and starting with sub-plenary presentations by the co-chairs. Chairs and presenters are, in part, invited in advance by the Scientific Advisory Committee, and, in part, selected by the Committee based on abstract submissions. Approximately 20% of the time allotted to each speaker is set aside for discussion and questions. Poster Sessions, scheduled to begin at the end of the second day of the meeting, provide a mechanism for informal exchange and for recognition and reward of outstanding young investigators. Session topics will address: The Chemistry of the Maillard Reaction;Methods for Analysis of Maillard Products;Effects of the Maillard Reaction on Food Color, Flavor and Texture;Nutritional and Toxicological Aspects of the Maillard Reaction;The Role of Lipids and Antioxidants in Maillard Reactions;the Maillard Reaction in Aging and Chronic Disease (atherosclerosis, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, cataract);AGE Receptors, Signal Transduction and Inflammation;and Therapeutic Inhibition of the Maillard Reaction. The Proceedings of these symposia are always published: the Proceedings of the 9th International Maillard symposium appeared as Vol. 1126 of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2008. Public Health Relevance: The Maillard reaction is not only at the crossroads of food and biomedical sciences, but is also at the crossroads of the research interests of the National Institutes of Aging (NIA), the National Institutes of Diabetes &Digestive &Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), and the National Eye Institute (NEI). The Maillard reaction contributes to the natural and normal aging of tissues, but, when accelerated by oxidative stress, inflammation, hyperglycemia or hyperlipidemia, contributes to pathology in a range of age-related chronic diseases, including arthritis, atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative disease, diabetes, cataract and age-related macular degeneration.. The 10th International Maillard Symposium addresses these health and disease issues and highlights current research trends, including: the development of better analytical methods for quantifying the scope of Maillard damage in tissues, amplification of tissue damage by pro-inflammatory processes following reactions between AGEs and receptors for AGE (e.g. RAGE), development of inhibitors of the Maillard reaction and downstream signal transduction pathways, including presentation of recent pre-clinical testing and clinical trials, and research on nutritional and toxicological aspects of the Maillard reaction. The International Maillard Symposia provide a unique opportunity for exchange of scientific information across a wide range of disciplines, setting the stage for long-term improvements in human health and treatment of chronic disease.